Toy construction.



Patented June 24, 1913.

WITNESSES ATTORNE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

JOSHUA L. GOWEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOY CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 22, 1912. Serial N 0. 692,337.

is a specification.

My invention relates to toy constructions and particularly to toy cars and means for propelling and steering them.

The object of my invention is to provide a toy car adapted to be propelled by electricity and suitable means for steering it on a roadway.

A further object is to provide a suitable roadway and electric transmission for the car.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view through the means used to steer the car and disclosing a portion of the roadway and conduit and conducting rail in the conduit; the car being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the steering means, shown on a larger scale than as illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through a portion of the conduit and disclosing an end View of the rail which also serves as an electrical conductor; and an end view of one of the shoes carried by the car. Fig. 4 is an end view of a portion of the conduit and roadway, and discloses a portion of the front truck of the car and the forward shoe carried thereby and serving as a guide to steer the car. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the shoe shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a plan View of a portion of the front truck.

'I provide a sheet metal construction embodying a conduit A formed integral with a roadway A and provided on each side of the conduit with a ribbed portion H which extends above the plane of the roadway A to form an electrical conductor on which portions of the shoe carried by the car may slide.

B, indicates the car, the body portion of which is indicated in dotted lines and B indicate the car axles on which are mounted the wheels C which travel on the roadway A larried by the forward axle is a frame truck portion D which is held in pivotal relation to the frame plate B of the car by a pivot pin E. The truck portion D is provided with four slots F respectively, through which the arms G of the guide shoe G pass, the upper ends of each of which are pr0- vided with hook portions G which extend" toward each other and normally extend over the plane surface of the truck, the arms G" being sprung apart in the act of forcing the hook portions through the slots, and being released from the pressure they resume their normal position relative to each other which allows the hooks to overlap far enough to prevent them fro-m dropping through the slots when the car is lifted from the roadway, as will be easily understood. The frame plate B is also provided with a slot B formed in the arc of a circle, the center of which is the pivot pin E and the portions G of the arms G located in this slot serve as abutinents to prevent the truck D from swinging beyond a predetermined distance. The guide shoe G is also provided with depending side wings G respectively and laterally projecting shoes G respectively, the portions G being located on each side of the shoe portions G and serving to steer the truck by contacting with the inner sides of the conduit, and also serving to carry a part of the current of electricity from the motor Patented June 24, 1913.

to the negative pole when in contact with i sheet metal as shown.

'K, indicates a sheet metal rail held in the conduit by clips K, and L indicates insulating material to insulate the rail from the conduit.

M, indicates the rear shoe carried by the car and insulated therefrom by material M in which the shank H is free to turn. The shoe is bifurcated as shown at M and straddles the rail K as shown, and serves to guide the rear end of the car and also to conduct electricity from the-rail to the motor N.

present invention residing in the rail and conduitcontributing to guide the car, the wheels of which rest on a plane surface and are directed by the guide shoe G, as will be readily understood.

It is obvious that the conduit and roadway could be made of non-conducting material and the portions HH be made of con ducting material, but I prefer to make the conduit androadway of sheet metal which can be formed by a rolling process at. a low cost and provides a stiff and durable construction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new 1. A toy construct-ion consisting of a rail and a roadway at each side thereof and a car having a body portion, a truck pivoted to said body portion, means depending from said truck and engaging with the roadway for steering the truck, and means comprising electrical conductors for transmitting electricity through said rail to propel said. car.

2. A toy construction'consisting of a rail and a roadway at each side thereof and a car havin a body portion, a truck pivoted to said body portion, means depending from said truck and engaging with the roadway for steering the truck, and an electrical conductor carried by the car at its rear end and contacting with said rail.

3. A toy construction consisting of a rail and a roadway at each side thereof and a car having a body portion, a truck pivoted to said body portion, means depending from said truck and engaging with the roadway for steering the truck, a bifurcated shoe carried by the car at its rear end and straddling the rail, and means comprising electrical conductors for transmitting electricity through said rail to propel said car.

f. A toyconstruction comprising a car, an electric motor mounted thereon, a truck lo.

cated at the forward end of said car and con nected in pivotal relation therewith, a guide nected in pivotal relation therewith, a guide against a rail.

shoe having depending side wings and laterally projecting shoes carried by said truck,

and having upwardly extending arms which loosely engage said truck, a spring interposed between said guide shoe and the under side of said truck, and a bifurcated rear shoe carried by and depending from said car.

(3. A toy .construction comprising a :car, an electric motor mounted thereon, a truck located at the forward end of said car and connected in pivotal relation therewith, a guide shoe having depending side wings and laterally projecting shoes carried by said truck, and having upwardly extending arms which loosely engage said truck, a spring interposed between said guide shoe and the .under side of said truck, a bifurcated rear shoe carried by and depending from said motor and mounted in pivotal relation therewith, and means for pressing said rear shoe 7. A toy construction comprising a sheet metal roadway and conduit, a rail mounted in said conduit, means for insulating said rail from said conduit, a car provided with wheels which rest on said roadway, a motor mounted onsaid car, a truck pivotally connected with said car, a guide shoe having dewheels which. rest on said roadway, a motor mounted on said car, a truck pivotally connectedwith said car, a guide shoe having side wlngs depending within said conduit,

laterally projecting shoes adapted to slide on the top edges of said conduit, and having upwardly extending arms which loosely engage said truck, a spring interposed between said guide shoe and the under side of said truck, a bifurcated rear shoe carried by said car and straddling said rail, and means comprising electrical conductors for transmitting electricity to said motor to propel the car.

- 9. A toy construction consisting of a rail and-a roadway at each side thereof and a car having a body portion, a truck pivoted to said body portion, means depending from said truck and engaging with the roadway 'for steering thetruck and conveying electric current to the motor, and means contacting with said rail for completing the electric cira truck pivoted to said body portion, ineans New York and Stateof New York this 18th depending from said truck .and engaging day of April, A. D. 1912.

with the roadway for steering the truck and s also to form electric contact with the road- JOSHUA GOWEN' 5 Way, andan eleetrical conductor carried by Witnesses:

the car and contacting With the rail. FRANK M. ASHLEY, Signed at New York city, in the county of MINNIE- S. MILLER. 

